Attachment for aircraft propellers



1933- H. SCHANKE ATTACHMENT FOR AIRCRAFT fROPELLERS s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 17, 1932 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Aug. 29: 1933. SCHANKE 1,924,461

ATTACHMENT FOR AIRCRAFT PROPELLERS Filed March 17, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Aug. 29, 1933. SCHANKE 1,924,461

ATTACHMENT FOR AIRCRAFT PROPELLERS Filed Marh 17, 19:52 3 sheets sheet s INVENTOR.

/zwza x4 4 I ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 29, 1933 a ATTAonMENrFoR AIRCRAFT m mma r Helmet Schanke, Blue Earth, b i Application March 17, 1932.. SerialNo. 599,38 a V '7 Claims. (o1.' 170-'170) I My invention relates to attachments for aircraft propellers, and the main object is to provide a means whereby the propeller will exert a lifting force on the aircraft as well as the usual fly and land atslower speeds, and to take-off or alight with a shorter run space. i l

A further object is to provide an attachment of this kind comprising vanes or blades hinged to the propeller blades and means under the control of the pilot whereby these vanes will be or in a smaller automatically moved or swung to varying positions during each rotation of the propeller, this action being such that the vanesare moved to a position substantially crosswise to the circular path or orbit ,of the propeller blades as they move downward and are at all other times disposed edgewise to this path of the blades to ,re-

duce their wind resistance and drag.

. A further object-is to provide an attachment of this kindin a simple, durable, efficient and readily operated form. 4

The foregoing and other objects, together with means whereby the same may be carried into effect, will best be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment of my invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of my invention as applied to the propeller of an aeroplane, only the nose portion of the latter being shown and a part broken outto show the control'mechanism.

Figure 2 is a frontal elevation of the structure .shOWninFigure 1.

Figure'B is an enlarged front elevation of my invention alone. v v

Figure 4 is a side view ofthe'fin or blade operating yoke andarms.

Figure 5 is a frontview of the-yoke and arms.

Figure 6 is a still further enlarged front elevation of the yoke guide mechanism.

= Figure 7 is a view similar to Figured, but s how ing-the guide moved to its inoperative position.

Figure 8 is a cross section alongthe line distancefrom the propeller hub., The operating blades B and B so that the vanes are intrailingx in Figure 6, showingals'o a portion of the noseof i the aeroplane] Figure 9 is an enlarged side-elevationpf the cont'rolhandle. 1 R- Figure 1 0i s a front elevation ofthebo'ntrbl handle. My N Figures 11 to 15 inclusive are diagrammatic views of the invention,1showing the positions assumed a by the vanes or blades in progressive s tagesjof one'revolution of the-propeller; a Y1 Referring now more particularly to the drawings, my invention comprises atyoke 1 havingjan elongated slot'2 adapted to receiveand slida'blyl engage thepropeller shaft A, the yoke being mounted on this shaft between thegpropeller B1 and 'nose cowling C of the aeroplane Das shown in Figure 1. Elongated, rectangular collars -.or stops 3 (Figure 1), are secured rigidlylon the pro peller'shaft Aforwardly and rearwardlyof the yoke l to prevent axial displacement of the yoke along' the shaft. Adjacent theends of the slot 2, the yoke is reduced and extended longitudinally in the form of vanes or blade. operating'iarms,

which terminate "at their ends ,in knuckles 5. 1}A; guide roller 25 is journaled by the pin 26 entire 30 yoke 1 adjacent one endof the slot 2 and extends rearwardly from said yoke for a purpose, to be described. Flat rectangularvanesorblades 6 and '7 are provided and the vane 6 is hinged by one longitudinal margin at 8 toone propeller blade asB, while the other'vane 7 islikewise hinged at 9 to the blade B", the hinges 8 and 9 being dis posed outwardly along the blades'a considerable arms 4 are pivotally attached by means of the knuckles 5 to the vanes 6 and? as designated at 10, the said arms being suitably bent near their, ends as at'll' in order. to extendforwardly' and' meet the vanes at a medialp ointthereof and in" order'to compensa'tejfor the, angular position atfl95. which the vanes are set relative to: the axis of th'ej propeller shaft due tofthe angularity or' pitchlof thep'rop'eller blades Bf and B"; Thearms 1a'r'e-= braced by the, bar 33 extending forwardly and around the propeller hub as shown. 1"

The foregoing arrangement is suchthat' the vanes or blades 6 and '7 maybe swung to varying angles relativeto the circular orbit orpath of the propeller blades by sliding the yoke lto'andfro" Y. on the propeller shaft'A as will be 'undQlfSt00d." f The yoke 1, of course, rotates with the propeller. It will be'noted that the,vanesare'mountedpnfthe blade back's or rear faces of the propeller} position the propellerrotatg j." i

Q the'path traveled by the propeller blades or to.

fix the blades at a trailing angle relative to the idive or spin more readily. In addition, the increased lift allows the plane to take off, fly and land at slower speeds and toarise or alight'in a smaller space. Other advantages and further details of the utility of the device w 1 be apparent to those skilled in the art.

While I-have hereinset forth a certain preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that I may vary from the same in minor details, not departing from the spirit of my invention, so as best to construct a practical device for the purpose intended, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: V

1. In a device of the kind described, in combination with'a propeller and propeller shaft, a yoke slidably mounted on the shaft, vanes hinged to the blades of the propeller, arms extended from the yoke and pivotally connected to the said vanes, and means for reciprocating the saidyoke to swing the vanes to various angles relative to blades. I p

"2. In a device of the kind described, incombination with a propeller and propeller shaft as mounted on the nose portion of an aircraft, rectangular vanes hinged to the blades of the propeller, a yoke mounted on the propeller shaft and connected tothe said vanes, the saidyoke being slidable on the propeller shaft in a plane perpendicular to the axis thereof, a guide comprising a back plate slidably but not rotatably mountedon the nose of the aircraft and slidable in a plane slidable on the propeller shaft in a plane perpendicular to the axis thereof, a guide comprising a back plate slidably but not rotatably mount-. ed on the nose of the aircraft and slidable'in a plane also perpendicular to the axis of the 'pro- 1 peller shaft, upper and. lower arcuate guide ribs extended from the said back plate and having their ends turned inward alongsideeach other, a roller journaled on the yoke and adapted to engage the said guide ribs, the upper guide rib-being of a sharper curvature than the lower and having its ends turned outwardly whereby a passageway is formed between the ends of 'theribs through which the roller may pass as it travels within the upper rib and along the outer side of the lower rib. l h 3 4. In a device of the kind described, in. compeller,.

bination with a propeller and shaft, a pair of vanes hinged-to the'blades of'the propeller, a yokeslidably mounted across the shaft and connected to the-vanes, a guide comprising, a back slidably mounted'across the shaft, a lower arcuate guide rib extended fromthe back plate and having its ends turned inwardly, an upper arcuate guide rib extended from thelback plate and having its ends turned outwardly and spaced from the ends of the lower rib, the curvature of the upper guide "rib being. sharper than that of the lower rib, a roller journaled on the said yoke and adapted normally to travel along the inner side of the upper rib and the outer side of the lower rib, and means whereby'the said guide may be moved to such position that the roller travels fre of both the upper and lower ribs.

5. In a device ofthe kind described, in combination witha propeller includmg a plurality of blades, a vane hinged to each blade, means operable by the, rotation of the propeller to cause the vanes to swing crosswise to the path of the blades as they move downward andto swing parallel with the path of the blades as they move upward, and means whereby the said blades may be released to lie parallel with the path of the propeller blades at all times.

6. In a device of the kind described. in combination with a propeller as mounted on the nose of an aircraft, a yoke slidably associated with thepropeller for longitudinal movement thereon,

vaneshinged' to the propeller blades, arms connecting the. said yoke and vanes, a roller on the.

yoke, a guide comprising aback plate slidably mounted onthe, nose of the aircraft, arcuate u per and lower guide ribs on the said back plate for engagement with the roller on theyoke, the adjacent margins ofthe guide ribs being spaced apart to pass the said roller, and means for adjusting the said guide to vary the position of the said guide ribs relativeftothe axisof the pro- 75111 a device of the kind described, in combination with apropeller as mounted on the nose of an aircraftja yoke slidablyassociated with the propeller for movement at right angles'to the axis on which the propeller rotates, vanes hinged on the blades of the propeller, arms connecting the yoke and vanes, a roller mounted on'the loke, a guide "comprising aback plate slidably ment at right angles to the 'axis on which the 1 mounted on the nose of the aircraft for movepropeller rotates, and arcuate upper and lower guide ribs on the back plate for engagement with the roller, the ends of the lowerguide rib being turned inwardly within the lower ends of the upper rib and terminating short thereof to provvide apassageway between these ends,,and means for moving the guide to, a position at which the lower guide rib-will lie substantially concentric with the axis on which the propeller rotates.

HELMER. soHAN E, 

